Just been to see The Lives of Others, a German film about a Stasi operation against a playwright.

We thoroughly enjoyed it, and came home talking about how we like the way the film under plays some of the moments of tension, and the attention to detail – the glasses that the characters do look like they might have come from the 1980s.

We also were glad that there hadn’t been more Communist countries and agreeing that people who think that Britain is anywhere near a police state need to think about what they’re saying a bit more carefully.

So if you’re off to the cinema soon then this is one that you should consider.

If you’re going to go to the film then this article from The Observer is well worth a read (and it’s worth it if you’ve seen it):

Strange enough that the state has gone, with its flag and anthem and uniforms. But how can I accept that I will never again breathe that whiff which said: You are entering ‘Stasiland’, and nowhere else on earth? Can a republic of 17 million people, 300,000 secret policemen or informers and five million personal files melt away without leaving even a tang in the air?